The present invention relates to a motor-vehicle through-seat holder.
It is standard as described in German patent documents 100 04 021 of P. Butz and 197 27 499 of W. Sitzler to form a motor-vehicle seat back, typically the back seat, with a through-going aperture that is in turn fitted with a frame. Normally a cushion or the like is set in the frame for normal use of the seat back. For transporting elongated objects the insert can be taken out and the objects can project from the rear luggage compartment or wayback through the aperture into the back seat area, allowing skis or fishing rods to be accommodated. It is even standard to provide an alternate insert that is constituted as a bag that can expand forward so that the objects inserted from the rear do not soil the seat or rattle about. Alternately the insert can be a television or refrigerator that is plugged into the vehicle""s cigarette-lighter power outlet.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved through-seat holder.
Another object is the provision of such an improved through-seat holder which can serve other functions.
A motor-vehicle seat back formed with a throughgoing aperture, has according to the invention an annular frame fixed in the aperture and at least one electrical contact exposed on the aperture frame. An insert has a frame complementarily fittable with the aperture frame, an electrically powered module, and at least one electrical contact on the insert frame electrically connected to the module and engageable when the insert is fitted to the aperture frame with the contact of the aperture frame. Respective latch formations on the frames are relatively displaceable between a holding position securing the insert in the aperture frame with the contacts in electrical connection with each other and a releasing position permitting the insert to be separated from the aperture frame. A latch mechanism on the aperture frame displaces the latch formation of the aperture frame into the releasing position for freeing the insert from the aperture frame.
Thus with this system the module, e.g. a television or refrigerator, on the insert frame can be supplied with electricity through the aperture frame, with the connection made automatically when the insert is snapped into place. There is no need to make a separate connection; simply fitting the unit into the seat frame makes the necessary electrical connection. The aperture frame will still work with a through-seat ski bag or the like.
The insert according to the invention is fitted to and removable from the aperture frame in a direction transverse to a plane of the aperture frame. The contact of the aperture frame is exposed in the direction. More particularly the contact of the aperture frame is also exposed opposite to the direction and the insert can be fitted from opposite sides to the aperture frame. To this end the insert frame has an outwardly projecting ridge having a pair of opposite faces and the contact of the insert frame is exposed on both faces of the ridge. Similarly the aperture frame has a pair of oppositely directed faces and the contact of the aperture frame is exposed on both of the faces.
The aperture-frame contact according to the invention is adapted to be connected to a motor-vehicle power source. Furthermore the aperture frame has a pair of sides each formed with a guide groove. The formations including respective bars slidable in the grooves and each having a pair of pins projecting through the aperture frame and undercut notches formed on the insert frame and engageable around the pins.